


Hanaakari

by cheshirejin



Category: Bleach, InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Complete, Crossover, Drama, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-25 11:18:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheshirejin/pseuds/cheshirejin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This whole story started out when I asked nochick_fics for a pairing so I could write her a short pwp.<br/>Of course she ended up asking for Byakuya Kuchiki and Sesshoumaru, and I couldn't wrap my head around it enough for a pwp with them until I made this whole huge set of circumstances for how they would have met and so on... and well here is that story instead of the porny short I intended to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nochick_fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nochick_fics/gifts).



Intro: Byakuya

It was a typical afternoon in squad six. The captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, sat at his desk, with perfect posture, his hand steadily and elegantly filling out the never ending stream of paperwork it took to keep his squad running efficiently. His squad members were out training with his second in command. Except for a few who were on other assignments, such as Rikichi, who was once again in charge of communications and hopefully not losing too many of their limited supply of trained hell butterflies.

To add to his daily work load a courier had deposited the results of the manor’s weekly finances and inventory reports for him to look over as well. One item had come up missing, a hair comb that was the female equivalent of the windflower scarf for the Kuchiki household heads. The staff was currently combing the manor for it, and he was certain the person who had misplaced it would be found and punished for their carelessness soon. He suspected the eleventh squad lieutenant, or her shinigami women’s association, were somehow involved.

Suddenly the door to his office burst open and a woman came rushing in, falling into a kneeling position before his desk. He recognized her as one of his household staff, a middle aged woman named Hisoka.

“Please forgive me,” she said, her voice was hoarse from crying and tears still ran down her cheeks as she looked up at him. “I had to do it, they took her, I couldn’t fight it and they said they would give her back but then they didn’t. They didn’t give her back and I don’t know where she is,” She trailed off sobbing loudly.

Byakuya just barely cocked his head to the side a bit, the only outward sign of his confusion.  
“What is it you did?” he asked equitably.

“I am so sorry, I stole from you, a lot of things but this time I took it, the lady’s comb, I had to. He has my child, he said he would kill her…” and once again she was sobbing to where she couldn’t continue.

“Who is it that has your child?” Byakuya asked, the picture beginning to fall into place.

Before she could answer the door opened once more and something was dumped onto the floor unceremoniously by a smug looking Ganju Shiba.

“Sorry to barge in,” he said looking exactly not sorry at all, “but this friggin idiot was in a bar in the rugonkai, bragging about how his gang had kidnapped a kid and gotten one of your staff to rip off some goods for him to sell on the black market, Sis has the so called boss of the gang, but this is the man who contacted your servant about the kidnapping.” he kicked the man who moaned and shuddered, he was covered in lumps and bruises already.

“Where is she? My child…” Hisoka asked

Ganju smiled and leaned out the door whistling loudly and waving someone over.

A short, slender fourth squad member entered nervously, with a small girl in his arms.

“Aika!” Hisoka shrieked happily, running to gather the child in her arms. “Thank you,” she said to Hanatarou, once he reassured her that the child was fine, other than being a bit dehydrated from being fed sake laced milk to keep her quiet.

Byakuya didn’t like the disturbance to the peace and tranquility of his office, it set him on edge, and further he did not like that one of his servants had stolen from his household, but he couldn’t fault her motivations. He would deal with her later, after she had time to reunite with her child. He was inwardly seething furiously, that comb had been passed through his noble clan for generations. It had graced the head of his dear departed Hisana on several of the clan’s formal occasions, before she was too ill to attend them anymore. The thought of this filthy thief touching it… he barely restrained himself from unleashing his senbonzakura on the man. If he were standing he may have done it, but his honor wouldn’t let him attack a nearly unconscious man, even for this. And upon further thought he did not want his office floor stained with this lowlife’s blood either.

“I trust that your sister will get as much useful information as possible about this gang and what has happened to my property,” Byakuya said to Ganju as he sheathed his zanpakuto.

“Yeah, sis can be real persuasive when she wants,” Ganju said with a grin.


	2. Chapter 2

In Tokyo, Japan an elegantly dressed man with long blonde hair pulled back at the nape of his neck with a dark ribbon inspected new merchandise he was about to acquire.

“This appears to be an exceptionally well made Japanese makie lacquer, ornamental kushi and kougai. As for the style, it is from the middle Heian period, the design is very interesting. I will give ¥75,000 for it.” Sesshoumaru said, something about this item had sparked his curiosity. This comb was obviously of the highest workmanship.

The makie design portrayed sakura blossoms on the top of the comb and a family emblem on the hairpin. One that he did not recognize and he knew them all. If he couldn’t feel the age seeping from it, he would have been sure it was a forgery. The scent emanating from it was that of a female, and medicinal smells faint but not centuries old. It was just enough of a mystery for him to decide it was worth buying and investigating this item.

He quickly handled business matters with this final transaction or the day and closed up shop. With a sigh he dropped the illusion spell he used to pass as a human, his hair fading from blonde to silver, his markings appearing on his face and body, his teeth became more canine, and his mokumoku sama becoming visible in its customary position, thrown over his shoulder. Five hundred years had made many things necessary that he did not care for. Holding the glamour that came more naturally to a kitsune was one of them.

He was still the lord of his domain and all of the remaining youkai under his protection. He had long ago found himself unwilling to allow his preference for staying out of the affairs of the human world to cause his control over his lands to stagnate and fade away. The real power in this day and age was money. While he still retained his ancestral home, to maintain power he needed to deal with the humans on their level, as a businessman.


	3. Chapter 3

Byakuya strode down the sidewalk in the bustling Omotesando area of Tokyo. He held a piece of paper in his hand upon which was the address for the living world establishment where his family’s possessions had been sold. Westland Antiques was a small store front, on the upper class street, lined with restaurants, boutiques and salons.

He entered, the door, the tinkling of a strand of small metal suzu bells announced his presence. Even through the limited senses of his gigai he could feel the spiritual power of the elegant looking man who greeted him.

That answered how the thieves had been able to sell items from the soul society in the living world so easily. He wondered if this fool realized most of his customers couldn’t even see some of the inventory he had on display.

“May I help you?” the proprietor of the store asked blandly. This newcomer had an odd air about him that aroused Sesshoumaru’s curiosity. He held himself like someone who was used to being obeyed without question.

“There are some items that were stolen from my estate, and sold here. I will have them back,” Byakuya told him reaching into his pocket to withdraw the inventory records for the missing items including drawings. Had he known about the man’s spiritual power level he would not have needed to go to Urahara and have him copy the records onto paper that could be seen in the living world, but he would still have needed to acquire a gigai or he would attract hollows like a beacon with his own considerable spiritual pressure.

The other man snorted, this man was very direct. He was most likely telling the truth, or else this was a novel approach for someone to try and bluff him out of some of his inventory. Either way he wasn’t about to just hand merchandise over to him, not without a chance to investigate the situation. “I am afraid that I would need a detailed description of the item in question and a copy of the police report before I would be willing to release anything to anyone. I cannot help you.”

A slight tightening of the muscles around his eyes was the only thing that betrayed his anger and frustration at this. He could not fault the man for withholding property he no doubt paid for from his pocket. Even so, the man had obviously not cared that the items were stolen either, therefore he felt no obligation to offer any recompense for their loss. This was his property and he would have it back.

“I do have detailed descriptions complete with drawings of the items in question,” he said proffering the papers in his hand. He hoped the man would be reasonable and let the items go at that, when it was obvious he did own the items.

Sesshoumaru took the papers and, sniffing disdainfully, looked at them. “They appear to be photocopies of the original records,” he said, he would have been interested in seeing those. The formal writing and meticulous drawings were almost art on their own. There was something tugging on the edge of his senses that he couldn’t place, but he knew something was not quite right about this man.”So, you have an estate, where is it located?” he asked as he looked over the papers carefully. He had noted the family emblem was the same as on the comb set he had bought recently and it still intrigued him.

“I hardly see how that matters to the subject at hand,” Byakuya told him; he was starting to be annoyed by the cold, pretentious air this otherwise very attractive man carried. “My home is quite far from here, and I would like to return soon. So if you would just return my property I will be on my way.” He said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Sesshoumaru sniffed, but otherwise ignored his answer as he went back to looking through the small stack of papers. It seemed five items in all were chronicled in these papers. He had paid out over ¥150,000 in all for them, the comb being by far the most expensive piece. He would soon contact some of his youkai to track down the ones involved. Even the Yakuza knew better than to screw over Sesshomaru Kokunishi. “These are very complete, but as I said, I cannot release anything without a police report. I need to be able to explain the losses for my business records and insurance.” He said as he handed the papers back to the dark haired gentleman. “Give me your name and I will set the items aside until you return with the papers,” he offered.

It seemed he would have to contact Urahara about obtaining a police report. “My family name is Kuchiki, “he didn’t know why he gave the man his name, it hardly mattered if his spirit world items were on display or not. Perhaps there was a small part of him that was still childish enough to want the man to move what would look like imaginary inventory to any of his customers around the store. The thought actually did cheer him somewhat he had to admit to himself.

“Kuchiki, that is an unusual name,” Sesshoumaru observed, “Though no more unusual than my own,” he added gesturing to a tray of business cards on a glass display cabinet.

Byakuya retrieved one of the cards indicated. It read Westland Antiques, owner and proprietor Sesshoumaru Kokunishi with the address and phone number. It was an unusual name indeed. He couldn’t help being reminded of Captain Komemeru’s name for some reason. “Indeed Kukunishi-san, it is an unusual name.” One he would have Urahara find out all he could on this man as well. Not feeling further pleasantries were needed; he bowed respectfully to the shop owner and left the store.

Sesshoumaru watched the man leave his store. There was something very unusual about him. He wasn’t a youkai, but he exuded the aura of a powerful one. He wasn’t from any of the noble clans, Human or Youkai but he had a family crest. At first he had suspected he was from an offshoot of the kikuchi clan, but their crossed feathers kamon was nothing like the elaborate six sided crest on the antique comb set. Another thing that he found disconcerting was the man had no scent. Humans and youkai both had scents abundant. Their own body odor, personal care items, hair products and so forth. While this man used cologne, and hair products, he had the personal body odor of a new, unused suitcase, artificial and blank. It set his nerves on edge.


	4. Chapter 4

Byakuya sat on a comfortable armchair in his elegantly appointed room. The hotel was less than three miles from the antique store, something that seemed more like happenstance than design once he saw the giant, ancient sakura tree on the front lawn. It had been a long day. 

He had contacted Urahara, and he would supply him with the documents he needed by the next afternoon. He also agreed to research the shop owner, since they did need to find what route the thieves had been smuggling items from the soul society to the living world and it was as good a place to start as any. He wanted to get back to soul society as soon as possible, the limiter on his power was like an annoying itch chafing at him, and he wasn’t used to moving in the gigai yet, it made him feel uncharacteristically awkward. Soon he noticed he was getting hungry. He had noticed that living in the gigai took a lot of energy and left him needing to eat more often than he was used to. He could order room service but he would not have any idea of the quality of the food until it arrived and he would have to eat in the room he was going to sleep in. He could not bring himself to do something that seemed so slovenly so he decided to leave the hotel and find something to eat.

The air was cooling as the sun went down and the crowds of shoppers were thinning as shops closed for the day. As he walked down the sidewalk, Byakuya caught a faint scent on the air of something spicy and savory that made his mouth water and his stomach grumble. Following the smell led him to a small, quiet restaurant tucked between a lounge and what may have been a night club from the loud thumping music that could be heard, and got even louder as patrons entered and exited the building. 

Once inside the restaurant the atmosphere was surprisingly quiet and peaceful. The hostess seated him immediately upon finding that he was dining alone. Menu in hand he glanced over the offerings, thinking perhaps he would try the curry dish his lieutenant, Renji, had mentioned after one of his living world assignments. As he waited for the waitress to come take his order he looked around, randomly focusing on different elements of the décor noting which items he liked and which seemed a little shabby or gaudy. Overall the atmosphere was good though, not too pretentious and not too run down. He was studying an intricately carved wooden panel that was hanging on the wall nearest him when he felt a now familiar presence. Glancing over he confirmed that the owner of the antiques gallery had just entered the dining area he was in and was led past where he was seated, to a nearby table, when he spotted Byakuya sitting alone. 

Normally Sesshoumaru would just take his seat and observe the other man from his own table, but with them both dining alone that strategy would soon make things awkward. Simply leaving was not an option. That would feel as if he had been driven from his own territory and he could not abide by that thought. With little other choice he resigned himself to being …social.


	5. Chapter 5

“Kuchiki-san?” he greeted him. “Are you alone, or are you expecting someone?”

“Hello, Kokunishi-san, I am dining alone. Do you wish to join me?” Byakuya asked, the spirit energy he felt from the other man was very strong, not Kenpachi Zaraki strong, or Ichigo Kurosaki strong, but certainly on par with many of the seated officers in the thirteen protection squads. It also felt different than that of anybody he has ever met. Irritating as he was, there was definitely something intriguing about this man.

“Are you certain I am not intruding?” Sesshoumaru asked. There were many things he wanted to know about this person. The way he acted was as if he were from a noble house, but the name he had given him, Kuchiki, was certainly not from the human nor the youkai nobility.

The hostess quickly set another place at Byakuya’s table after Sesshoumaru sat down across from him. “Your waitress will be out right away,” she told them, but seemed to be focusing more on Sesshoumaru than Byakuya.

“Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama.” The waitress greeted him with a smile as she scurried over to the table. She had auburn hair and striking green eyes. “Do you want the usual?”

“Yes, Ayame, that will suffice,” Sesshoumaru said handing his menu to the girl.

“And for you?” she asked Byakuya.

“I will have the hokkyoku ramen,” he answered, soon noticing the appalled look on Sesshoumaru’s face at his order. He arched an eyebrow questioningly.

“That is not food; it is a vile torture that only the foolish or insane would attempt to consume.” Sesshoumaru sniffed, the fumes that wafted off of a bowl of that over spiced soup were enough to burn his sensitive nose.

“Perhaps you could suggest something else then?” Byakuya asked, suspecting Renji may have been testing the limit of what amount of spice he could handle with this suggestion, or perhaps it was some sort of practical joke.

“I am not one for spicy food, but I have heard that the green curry from the Thai menu here is well received, and it won’t raise blisters in your digestive tract.”

“All right then, I will change my order to that,” Byakuya said, watching as the waitress changed the order on the ticket. He was going to have to have a discussion with Renji about this when he got back home.

“Will that be everything?” she asked as a busser brought a pot of tea and a pitcher of water to their table.

Byakuya considered ordering some sake, but he was not sure how well the gigai would metabolize alcohol. Also, this was not a relaxing afternoon sipping sake from a tea pot with captains Kyoraku and Ukitake. He was here on a mission and needed to keep a clear head.

“I think that will be adequate,” Byakuya told her.

“That will suffice,” Sesshoumaru agreed.

“I will tell Kouga and the boys I saw you today,” Ayame said as she left for the kitchen with their ticket.

Sesshoumaru tapped a nail on the table as he thought about that. The way she said it had seemed as if she thought the wolf tribe would be happy to know he had recently returned to Tokyo. He had spent the last few months at his estate taking care of his duties as lord of the western lands. Perhaps he should come back later and ask her about it. The wolves were never close to the Lord of the Western Lands, and usually chafed under his protective role as such, being only as polite as absolutely necessary; that being not very polite at all, considering the manners of wolves.

“Is everything alright?” Byakuya asked, the man had been sitting there with an absolutely neutral look on his face for several long moments and the silence was starting to feel awkward.

“Yes, I am sure it is nothing of major concern. Now, one thing has been bothering me, may I ask you about it?”

“You may.”

“Where is your family from? I have seen enough to believe that you are telling the truth about the comb being your property, but I also was certain I knew every noble family in this land for the last thousand years and more.”

 Byakuya was not sure how best to answer him, and was saved for the moment from having to think of something by Ayame returning with their food.

He looked at his plate, a mixture of vegetables and meat swimming in a green colored sauce. Despite this, it looked and smelled appetizing and he started eating immediately, savoring the spicy, citrusy flavor. He looked over to see the other man’s plate was elegantly draped in slices of some sort of raw flesh, most likely gyu tataki, or something close to it, because the color of the meat was not quite right for beef.

Both men ate in companionable silence until about half way through the meal when Byakuya felt the distinct energy of a hollow nearby.

“If you will excuse me, I have just thought of something I need to attend to. I will be back soon,” he told Sesshoumaru as he stood and left the table, and the restaurant. 


	6. Chapter 6

Ayame was at Sesshoumaru’s side in moments. “You feel it?” she asked, not waiting for an answer. “They’re nasty and can be hard to kill. Kouga, Ginta and Hakaku have taken out three this week so far, they’re unlike any youkai we ever saw,” she said in a worried voice.

Sesshoumaru nodded and left to investigate in the blink of an eye. He could feel the malevolent aura coming from beyond the alleyway next to a nearby building. The scene that greeted him when he arrived there was baffling.

Kuchiki-san was face to face with something that resembled a large spider youkai. It had a white skull shaped mask and radiated a malevolent aura that could, quite possibly, even make Naraku cringe. It was completely consumed with hatred and hunger.

The large creature lunged at Kuchiki-san, who dodged the attack with inhumanly quick movements. Then Kuchiki-san seemed to step forward and leave his own body, which collapsed to the ground at his feet. This was an interesting technique and Sesshoumaru stayed where he was, studying it.

Kuchiki-san stood before the insect-like creature in a set of black robes of some sort with a white haori over them. The haori had the number six written in hiragana on a diamond shaped patch on the back. He also had what appeared to be a katana in his hand and without hesitation he attacked almost lightning fast, cleanly splitting the mask of the creature, which seemed to disintegrate and float into the air, leaving nothing behind.  

Sheathing his sword, Byakuya sensed around, seeking more hollows. One stray hollow was not too unusual in a large city, but if an illicit path to the soul society were nearby, along with his high levels of spiritual power, there could very well be more, and stronger, hollows attracted to the area.

He could feel the presence of Kokunishi-san, or Sesshoumaru-sama, as the waitress had addressed him. He almost found that odd intermixing of personal name and a noble title amusing, but didn’t spare much thought on it as he sensed more hollows approaching. He turned and addressed the other man “Kokunishi-san, it would be safer for you to return to the restaurant.” Having warned him, he took a fighting stance, feeling no fewer than three more low-level hollows approaching.

They came charging down the alleyway, two on the ground and one with the ability to fly. Byakuya flash stepped back a few yards, giving his sword the command to “scatter.”  His first attack was directed at the flying hollow. He sent the thousand sakrua petal shaped blades ripping through it mercilessly, leaving nothing in their wake. As fast as that, the first battle was over. He aimed the next attack at the hollow in the lead, when the one from behind leapt over his companion and charged directly at Sesshoumaru.

Pure demonic instincts kicked in, the glamour, he was maintaining, dropped and his youkai rose to fighting levels. The hollow did not stand a chance against the daiyoukai of the West. With a snarl, he lashed out at the oncoming creature with his poison laced claws, rending it into pieces which quickly dissolved into the air before him.

“What are these things?” Sesshoumaru asked. There were not even bones left once they were defeated, it was unnatural and made his hackles stand on end.

“Hollows,” Byakuya supplied the short answer. “Please let me deal with them from now on.” He wasn’t certain that the method Kokunishi-san used to defeat the hollows wouldn’t upset the carefully kept balance he was a part of maintaining.

Sesshoumaru did not like that answer, he would be damned if he were going to let someone else fight his battles for him. He stepped closer to tell this insufferable individual as much when it struck him. He had dropped his illusion and battled this creature to the death in front of this stranger, and he had not batted one of his pretty, steel grey eyes over it. “My appearance does not concern you?”

Byakuya was taken aback, he had noticed that the other man had changed when he allowed his power loose, but that was such a common occurrence among shinigami when they released their shikai and bankai attack forms, that he had paid little attention beyond noting the changes. Now he looked him up and down, perhaps he was expecting more of a reaction. Almost, but not quite smirking, Byakuya decided to act as if he thought the other were fishing for a compliment. “This look is very becoming on you.”

Sesshoumaru was at his throat immediately, Byakuya was just able to dodge enough that all he caught in his hand was the front of his shikakusho. They were nose to nose, Byakuya poised to unleash a kido blast when Sesshoumaru released him, a puzzled look on his face; he sniffed the air between them several times. The smell emanating from the man before him was raw with spiritual energy, tinged with something floral, a very attractive scent and unlike anything he had ever smelled before. “You are not human, nor youkai, what are you?”

_Youkai, so that was it._ He was unaware that the ancient spirit beings still inhabited the living world in this day and age. “I suppose a formal introduction is in order. I am Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the sixth division of the thirteen protection squads of the Soul Society. I am a shinigami.”

Shinigami, a death god, not human nor youkai. Sesshoumaru stood taller than he had in a long time. “I am Sesshoumaru, Inu Daiyoukai, and Lord of the Western Lands. What brings a high ranking shinigami to the living world?”

“This is not the place for this discussion, perhaps we should return to our meals,” Byakuya said. Passersby were beginning to take note of what appeared to them to be an unconscious man on the ground with another suspicious looking man standing nearby in the deepening evening shadows, talking to thin air. He moved over to his gigai and reanimated it.

Standing from where his gigai had fallen, Byakuya brushed himself off and let Sesshoumaru lead the way back into the restaurant, while reestablishing the disguise charm he had let go of to focus on fighting the hollow.

Ayame greeted them at the door and quickly showed them to a back room, where they could talk in private. Sesshoumaru spoke briefly to her, telling her to keep her youkai levels low for the time being, and to tell the rest of her pack to do so as well. She nodded in understanding and left to contact Kouga and the rest.

“Now you will tell me what is going on and what those things are.” Sesshoumaru was not one to ask, but rather demand answers.

Byakuya chafed a little at his tone, but decided a full answer would be the most expedient way to conclude his business here. “You are aware that as a youkai, you possess an extremely high amount of spiritual power?”

Sesshoumaru nodded, this was not news.

“Those Hollows we just fought were once human souls. Most normal denizens of this world would not even sense their presence, and in return are of little to no value to them as well. Someone with enough spiritual energy to see them is also a potential source of power, a soul that once consumed would add to their power. Since they were formerly human souls the preferred way to fight them is for a shinigami to purify them. Obviously there are a few cases where someone, such as yourself, can interact with the spirit world and its items.

Someone has discovered that you possess this ability, and they have created an illegal access between the realms to smuggle items over and sell them here. At first, I was not certain that you weren’t part of this operation, but I am now convinced that you have been totally unaware that your customers can not even see a portion of the items you have on display in your store.”

Sesshoumaru’s face had taken a dark and ominous look as he listened. Byakuya could not blame him for being upset over the deceit and was hoping to enlist his help in finding any remaining people connected to the thefts from the living world. There were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this operation.

“I see. I will be going now,” Sesshoumaru said in a cold voice.

“Where are you going?” Byakuya asked, he hadn’t even explained fully about the hollows yet.

“To find the man who defrauded this Sesshoumaru.”

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

“We will need him to find out where the breach is and if he has any accomplices,” Byakuya reminded him, walking quickly behind Sesshoumaru as he stormed out of the restaurant.

“I will get that information for you before he dies,” Sesshoumaru snarled as he took off at full speed toward his shop.

Sesshoumaru stormed into his store, making a beeline for his office in the back where he had his records. A quick look and he had the address he was after. He unlocked a safe behind his desk and retrieved a pair of Katana, one sheathed in what may have been ivory or bone, adorned with rune like markings and a purple chord tied to it. The other, more traditional katana was wrapped in black with a red hand guard at the base of the hilt. He put the swords through his belt with a well practiced movement, and was out the door again in seconds.

Once outside, he stopped and scanned around for a few moments, before taking off in a definite direction. Byakuya followed, sensing that trying to stop him would be a waste of time. Instead, he studied Sesshoumaru, his features and movements were graceful, and the spirit energy rolling off of him was much more powerful than he had first assessed.  He carried himself as a noble would and that level of power and bearing was intriguing; even though an arrogant ass, he was someone Byakuya could see himself associating with.

Sesshoumaru was traveling fast. He seethed internally, as soon as he got his claws on the audacious bastard who thought he could cheat him, he would rend him limb from limb and make him suffer in puddles of his own blood, before he died.

It took him almost no time to arrive at the address, he was looking for. He stopped outside of the building and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the number that had been given as a contact. It rang, and he listened to hear the echo of the ring from within.

“Hello?” a voice answered the phone, and Sesshoumaru was in the house with a hand around the throat of the person at the other end in an instant. It was a girl, perhaps in her early twenties with dark hair cut into a short bob. Definitely not the person he was after. “Where is he?”

She didn’t insult his intelligence by asking who; just looked pointedly at a doorway in the back of the room as she shuddered, nearly overcome with fear and the power of his presence bearing down on her. She fell to the floor when he released her and shot through the door indicated. He could smell his prey now, following his path down the back stairwell and outside to a spot where Kuchiki-san stood, looking at nothing, the trail ended abruptly just in front of him.

“It seems he has returned to the Soul Society,” Byakuya was saying.  “He will have to transit the Dangai to get there, that would suffice,” he said, closing what looked like a cell phone and tucking it into his pocket. He turned to face Sesshoumaru. “There is a much faster route to get there. It will leave time to plan for his arrival.”

He drew his sword and plunged it into the air before him, turning it sideways like a key. A set of shoji doors appeared and slid open to reveal a small room.

“My family’s private gate.”

“I will go with you,” Sesshoumaru stated.

“I expected you would wish to, and have arranged for you to accompany me, however, I am uncertain if you will be able to enter the Soul Society without the use of a spirit exchanger, but I will not bar you from making the attempt.”

“I have been there before,” Sesshoumaru said flatly, as he started to step into the gate. He could feel Tensaiga awakening in reaction to his approach.

Byakuya held his arm out, barring the way. “Wait,” he said calmly as he stood still. “Things of the human world are usually not able to travel through the Senkaimon without a lot of effort,” he explained as he took out what looked like a candy dispenser with a duck shaped head. He popped one of the candies into his mouth and stepped out of his gigai. Turning to face his now separately animated look-alike, he ordered it to go back to the Urahara shoten and await further orders. The artificial soul that now wore his gigai bowed in acknowledgement and took off to do as it was told.

Sesshoumaru watched in puzzled fascination, it was a neat trick, being able to be two places at once like that. Of course he was also becoming irritated at the delay, every moment his prey was getting farther away from them, he could feel it.

Before long, two black butterflies came fluttering out of the gate, Byakuya caught one on his finger, before launching it back into the air and following behind it. “These soul butterflies will be our guides, please follow them and you will avoid many problems.”

Sesshoumaru had traveled to the spirit world before and had no fear of it. “If I have to follow an insect anyway, why not just follow the one that scuttled into this hole in the first place?”

“You could have followed on his tail, you are fast, and strong, and I don’t doubt you would have caught him, but if we want to catch the entire ring of thieves responsible, it would be wise to let this one lead us to them. This is a faster route than the one he is taking and, if he makes it through at all, we will be there ahead of him.”

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. “It would still have been very… satisfying, to catch him right now.”

“I don’t doubt that. I too have strong feelings about this man taking personal items of mine as well; especially one item that was taken from my private rooms.”

“The comb?”

“Yes, it belonged to someone very dear to me.”

Sesshoumaru briefly considered what would happen if someone stole the small, ragged, checkered kimono that was tucked into a chest at the foot of his bed in his mansion ever since the girl who wore it had outgrown it. “You will have it returned once we are done here.”

“Thank you.”

Without another word they followed the black winged insects through the gate and into the Soul Society.

The senkaimon opened up into the Kuchiki family’s private gate.  Byakuya stepped out and greeted the staff that attended the gate as well as Rikichi, thanking him for delivering the extra hell butterfly on short notice.

This looked nothing like the afterlife as he had come to know it. Sesshoumaru looked around and he appeared to be in the entry courtyard of a large, traditional, Japanese estate. He knew that his father’s grave resided in the borderlands between the living world and this one, and his other foray had been literally into hell. The fact that things looked normal, if a bit out of time here was interesting. He could feel echoes of days past in his mind as he looked upon the Kuchiki manor.

Byakuya introduced Sesshoumaru as his new acquaintance, and bade his attendants to treat him as they would a visitor from any of the noble houses. He then arranged a meeting with his advisors and the head of the estate guards. He would devise a plan to capture and punish all involved. This was a serious security breach, he was considering bringing the stealth force in as well, but there was one place he needed to go first. It was not a place he would normally go of his own accord, but under the circumstances, there was no help for it. He headed for Division Twelve headquarters, Sesshoumaru accompanying him, taking in his new surroundings as they went.

The estate grounds had been large, and once leaving the gates, they walked along long roadways lined with high gated walls. The overall feeling was that of wandering endless corridors, and it left Sesshoumaru feeling a little uneasy. He very much wanted to jump to the top of one of the walls and get a look around, but he fought that impulse lest it be considered unseemly and continued to walk with Byakuya instead.

“Where are we going?” he finally asked, after waiting what seemed a suitable amount of time for some explanation from his companion.

“We are going to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute in the Twelfth Division,” Byakuya said.

“Research and development? “ Sesshoumaru repeated, he could not think of why the death gods in the afterlife would need such a thing.

“The current captain of that division likes to use the loosest possible interpretation of the words; I suspect he has been tracking any unusual disturbances in the distribution of spirit particles within the Seireitei. That information will be helpful in tracking down the outlet on this end of the pathway to the living world,” Byakuya elaborated, once he realized there was no way the man next to him would know any of this.

 Sesshoumaru nodded, it was a reasonable idea, gathering all possible information, before devising a plan of attack.

Soon Byakuya turned down a side street and walked up to a set of gates, the men watching the gate opened it without a word and he and Sesshoumaru stepped through. The Twelfth Squad compound was large, and the building loomed foremost in front of all of the barracks and other support buildings.

Upon entering the outer reception area, the division lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, greeted them in her usual emotionless manner. “My father is not taking visitors today, perhaps if you come back some other time he will make time to see you,” she informed them.

“I am not here to see Captain Kurotsuchi,” Byakuya told her, not noticing the slight blush that colored her cheeks. “I just need to see today’s activity logs for the Dangai. I have reason to suspect someone has been traveling illicitly from the human world to the Soul Society and I want to find out where the opening is on this end.”

“Let me ask father if I can share this information with you,” Nemu said as she bowed politely and left the room. She returned with some print outs a few minutes later, after being subjected to a tirade about being disturbed by idiots while he was doing important research from her creator/father, who was obviously in the next room.

Byakuya thanked her and took the printouts, leaving quickly. “This is what we needed. Thank you, Nemu,” he said, not entirely sure that Sesshoumaru wasn’t about to tear his way through the walls after Captain Kurotsuchi. To his relief, they both exited the building together. He did not relish the kind of scene that would have unfolded otherwise. Once they were away from the Twelfth Squad’s compound, Byakuya allowed himself to say, ”That man is distasteful, but he is adequate at his job,” as he thumbed through the reports.

 He was soon back at his own mansion, going over the plans, along with the information Kukaku  Shiba had sent, with his private guard planning how to best capture the perpetrators. Not surprisingly, Kukaku had managed to get the names of anyone even remotely involved with this operation. He did not think it was necessary, or wise, to ask about what methods she used to get them.

Sesshoumaru watched the planning with interest. As the Lord of the Western Lands, he would never think to ask the advice and opinions of his subordinates this way, but the plan they were piecing together seemed to be elegant and effective, and some of the contingencies they thought of had not occurred to him. His typical method was to find the source of his current problem and eliminate it. He would have gotten the information needed as he went to eliminate all of his enemies without elaborate planning or delays. It had worked well for him for a very long time, but that didn’t mean that he was uninterested in how someone like Byakuya Kuchiki would handle the same situation. Privately he had to admit that he had a certain amount of curiosity about the dark haired shinigami. 


	8. Chapter 8

The planning session didn’t take long. Given the information from the twelfth division and the information furnished by Kukaku Shiba a fairly simple plan was engineered and put into play with very little difficulty and only a bit of unnecessary argument over the details. As a guest of the head of the Kuchiki family, Sesshoumaru was given a large room to stay in and was shown where the bathing and dining facilities were before being left to his own devices. The bathing amenities were inviting enough that he decided he could use a soak before retiring for the night. He was relaxing in an open air tub that was sunk into the ground and overlooked the estate’s gardens. The natural setting and warm water was soothing and he let his thoughts drift.

“You remind me a little of my lieutenant with those markings. Do all youkai have them?” Byakuya asled as he approached the bathing area.

“Is your lieutenant youkai?” Sesshoumaru asked, he was still unsure about the youkai place in the grand scheme of the soul society.

“No, but I suspect one of our captains may be one. Abari-san has patterned markings on his skin that appear to correspond with the depth of his bond to his zanpakuto,” Byakuya explained as he disrobed and settled into the far end of the tub. Laying his head back he looked at the moon overhead and continued, “They are interesting, but not as colorful as yours. The crescent moon on your forehead, is it significant in some way?” He didn’t know why he was being so garrulous; maybe he was just not quite ready to retire to his lonely room to lay once more with the memories of a love long gone just yet. It seemed like useless small talk of the kind he would typically ignore, and he was surprised when Sesshoumaru actually answered him a few moments later.

“The markings are a blend of those from my parents. My mother’s family is from a long line of nobility and I share the crescent moon marking with her. They mark me as a powerful youkai, but are of no importance beyond that. “

Byakuya looked over at him, he appeared to be almost glowing in the moonlight with his silver hair and pale skin. He noted the doubled, magenta colored, markings on several visible parts of his body and wondered if there were more under the water’s reflective surface where he could not see them as well. They really did suite him, making him look even more exotic. Then there were his ears. They were not quite beast and not quite human giving an almost elfish look to him. He fought against the thought but couldn’t resist considering them… cute. Also there was the long furry appendage that seemed to be attached to him and currently occupied the bath next to him rather than being draped over his shoulder as it had been earlier. Knowing Kokunishi-san was an inu youkai, he couldn’t help but wonder if it could be his tail, or some other canine body appendage. That thought was fast leading into uncomfortable territory, so he shifted a bit and tried to think of something else. Maybe he would have a cup of tea once he got to his rooms tonight and muse upon that kind of question further. At least from this distance he didn’t smell like a wet dog. That would have been unpleasant to share a bath with. His company had been surprisingly welcome.

Sesshoumaru allowed himself to relax in the steamy water, it had been a long time since he had last had company in a bath, not since before Rin moved into the village to study with Kaede. He wouldn’t admit out loud that he dearly missed those days. He missed Rin, she had been a daughter as much as any child of his own flesh would be, but being human, she had lived her life and passed centuries ago. Since her passing, he had resolved not to allow another human into his heart, their lives were too short. He had given up on finding any fellow youkai who could hold his interest long ago as well. He had met all of the strongest and highest born youkai remaining in the human world, and none had sparked any reaction in him beyond annoyance, or distain. He had resigned himself to the thought of living a long, and near solitary, existence. Now in Byakuya Kuchiki he was beginning to feel that he may have found someone he could stand being in the presence of. The fact that he still had unanswered questions about the death god at the other end of the tub from him was unusual, but not unwelcome. He found it invigorating that there were things he did not yet know. This was… fun.

They had parted ways after the bath and, much sooner than Byakuya would have liked, but he could see no reason to linger in the bath longer than he had and there was merit in getting some rest with the plans made and the trap set, now all there was to do was wait.

 

The new day was starting when Byakuya’s attendants informed him that his guest had not slept in his room or eaten. He had instead patrolled through the estate’s gardens for the remainder of the night. Byakuya fought the impulse to go check on him. After all, who knew how often youkai actually slept or ate?  Perhaps this was normal behavior for his new … friend? He would let that question linger for now. Surely Kokunishi-san was, at the very least, a new and interesting acquaintance, one he had unknowingly started to concern himself over. He would categorize it later, for the moment he had best concentrate on being ready to do his part in the plan to trap the thieves. It had already taken much longer than expected for their quarry to make his way through the dangai to the place where it let out in the Fifty-second District North. He also had to get Kokunishi-san to agree to the part they had devised for him in this plan. He seemed willing to consider it, but only just, when he had approached him with it.

He ate a quick light breakfast and decided he could use a walk in the garden afterwards. He was not worried about Kokunishi-san, but he had not seen nor heard from him since the night before. He had surmised that is was possible that his guest had somehow gotten lost on the grounds and would desire directions back to the main estate house.

One of his groundskeepers informed him that Kokunishi-san had been heading toward the koi pond not long before, when asked.

Byakuya noted to himself that he should check the number of koi in the pond while he was there; they were mysteriously dwindling as of late. As he approached the pond he had to fight the urge to do an undignified face palm upon seeing Kokonishi-san beside the pond, his arm outstretched, dangling the currently squealing and giggling lieutenant of the Eleventh Division by an ankle.

  
Yachiru, a mass of black robes and pink hair, was swinging back and forth lightly and talking between giggles “Kenny is Kenny, I don't know, he would like to fight you though. If you are strong enough and fight him, he will be really happy,” Then reaching out toward the furry boa-like appendage draped over his shoulder, she asked, “Can I pet it?”

“No,” Sesshoumaru said as he held her even further away from him.

“Heeey Byakuchki,” Yachiru called cheerfully waving at him. “Where'd you find him? He is really pretty, I want one.”

Sesshoumaru grimaced at her words slightly but schooled his features before turning toward the approaching noble. “Does this belong to you?” he asked flatly.

Byakuya fought to keep a blush from rising in his cheeks. “I believe I have discovered the reason for the diminishing numbers of koi in my pond,” He said before addressing the girl, “What are you doing here? you aren't eating my koi, are you Lieutenant Kusajishi?”

Yachiru quickly flipped upright and grabbed Sesshoumaru’s arm. Pulling free and dropping lightly to the ground in front of him, she took him by surprise with her quickness and strength. "Of course not, I’ve been loaning them to Ukki to cheer him up, since he’s been all sick again lately.”

Byakuya was a little relieved to hear that, the pond was stocked with some really nice fish and he was fond of watching them swim in his more contemplative moments. He nodded his head. “Do not forget to return then once Captain Ukatake is feeling better,” he told her. Perhaps he was too easy on the child, but he preferred to choose his battles where she was concerned. In the most quiet, rebellious part of him, he couldn’t help but admire the young girl for her nerve.

“Do you have any sweets today Byakushi?” Yachiru asked, rocking back and forth on her toes.

Unfortunately he was not prepared for a visit with the girl and didn’t have a treat stashed up his sleeve for her. “No, I don’t,” he informed her.

“How about you Fluffy-chan?” she asked Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru glared at her, “You will call me Sesshoumaru-sama, and I do not have any sweets. However, I do have this.” he said pulling an apple he had picked the night before in the gardens from his jacket pocket.

A wave of erratic spirit pressure washed over them and fast as lightning she grabbed the apple from his hand. Biting about half of it off she shouted back at them over her shoulder as she sped away, “Icchi is here, I have to get Kenny, he wants to fight him real bad.” Bits of apple and juice flew from her mouth with her words.

Sesshoumaru was somewhat appalled by her lack of manners; he would never have allowed Rin to talk to him with her mouth full like that. He wondered where her parents were.

 **B** yakuya shook his head, no matter how much that boy tried he just never was able to contain his spirit pressure, at least he didn’t flatten people with it like Kenpachi. Turning to his guest he had a few questions that he felt needed answered. “Do you actually prefer to be called Sesshoumaru-sama?”

“We are of equal status, I would prefer to be called Sesshoumaru, Kokonishi is a name I created to interact in the human world, I have no use for it otherwise.” Sesshoumaru stated, he was not sure why it mattered, but somehow it did.

Byakuya nodded, “All right, then, Sesshoumaru, are you hungry? I noticed you did not eat dinner, nor breakfast and you just gave away a piece of fruit to the lieutenant.”

“I am not in need of food. I picked the apple as a treat for a pet of mine. I plan on looking in on my own estate once we defeat our enemies here,” Sesshoumaru informed him, impressed nonetheless that his host was concerned for his wellbeing. “Thank you for asking Kuchiki-san,” he added not wishing to seem impolite.

“If I am to call you Sesshoumaru, it would be better for you to call me Byakuya as well,” Byakuya informed him. Being called Kuchiki-san, while he was referring to the other by given name seemed insufferably awkward.

Sesshoumaru nodded, “Thank you, Byakuya.” He repeated, liking the feel of it.

“Kuchiki-sama!” a messenger ran up to where the two men stood, “The dangai has opened.” He informed them.

Byakuya looked at Sesshoumaru briefly then both took off at top speed for the Rukongai.


	9. Chapter 9

A tall man with striking red hair pulled into a spiky pony tail atop his head, and interesting, black tribal tattoo markings on his face stood awaiting their arrival.

“Lieutenant Abari,” Byakuya greeted his second in command as they approached.

“Captain,” he returned the greeting. “We have moved into place to storm the building. I don’t think anyone has entered or left since it closed up shop last night.” He scratched the back of his neck as he relayed the last of the information, knowing it was not going to make his captain happy.

Byakuya nodded, for the plan to work, at least one of the thieves now hiding in the run down building they had surrounded needed to escape and lead them to the ones truly behind this operation. Unfortunately, the longer than anticipated wait for the dangai to open had made some of his men twitchy. They had rushed in, sealing off the area as soon as any change was detected.

“Good work, Lieutenant, stand by for my signal to begin phase two of the plan.” Byakuya accepted this news with grace, trying to formulate a new plan that would allow someone to escape without it looking suspiciously easy.

“Leave finding the ones behind this to me,” Sesshoumaru told him, as if that would solve the issue. They had played around with the planning far too long for his taste and he was very much ready to do things his way from here on out.

“And who are you?” Renji asked, leaning forward, a bit threateningly.

In his younger days, Sesshoumaru would not have hesitated, nor felt bad, over killing someone, who was disrespectful toward him, but a few hundred years of dealing with humans had done wonders for his temperament where that sort of thing was concerned. “My name will not matter, once I have killed you,” he said coldly, giving the other fair warning to back down and leave.

Byakuya stepped closer. “He is a fellow noble, and my guest. He will be treated as such, Abari-san.”

Ranji stood straight.“Yes sir,” he said, then looked back and forth between the two men and grinned. “I didn’t know you had any friends, Captain Kuchiki, Rukia will be so happy to hear about it. She worries about you moping around in that huge house on your own you know…”

“Abari, take your post, over there,” Byakuya ordered him, pointing away from their current position.

“Yes sir,” Renji said, still grinning, as he hurried to do as he was told.

“So that is your second in command?” Sesshoumaru asked. The man seemed annoying and loud, and totally the opposite of Byakuya.

“Yes, he is.” Byakuya would not make excuses to this man for his choice in second. He trusted Renji with his life and that of his squad members no matter how brash and irritating the man could be at times. Besides, Renji was usually a bit cockier when Ichigo was in town, something Byakuya chose not to watch nor contemplate too closely beyond that bit of surface knowledge.

Sesshoumaru nodded, he could say nothing once it struck him that his second in command was most likely Jaken.

Byakuya looked over the dirty streets and ramshackle building they were facing. In his opinion obliterating the area so the residents could start over again could only improve it. On his mark, the sixth squad surrounded the area and smoke bombs were thrown into the building to flush the inhabitants out.

Byakuya drew his zanpakuto, Senbonzakura, he gave it the command to release its shikai form. “Scatter.”

A shimmering pink sphere enveloped the entire area; each tiny glittering fragment was a razor sharp blade resembling a cherry blossom petal.  Sesshoumaru was struck by both the beauty and deadliness of the technique. Looking over at Byakuya, standing there calmly in the center of it all like some perfectly carved marble statue, he felt something raw and primal within him begin to stir. Coming to his senses after a short, breathless moment, he turned his attention to the thieves, who were emerging from the building to escape the fumes.

Renji had one young boy by the back of his collar as he kicked and cursed at the much taller man. Several ladies in too-short kimonos ran toward the far end of the road and were surrounded by black clad Shinigami, who chased after them, rounding them up as they ran for freedom. One middle aged man made it to the swirling petal blades of Byakuya’s shikai. He charged the barrier only to be tossed back from it, a mess of bleeding skin on the side of his body where he had tried to shoulder his way through.

One of the men grabbed Sesshoumaru from behind and held a sword to his neck. “Let me go or this man dies,” he said between wheezing coughs.

Byakuya looked on, showing no change in his face or demeanor, the nearest Shinigami soldiers did slow their approach, finally stopping and making a break between them for the man to escape.

Sesshoumaru fought the instinct to kill the man immediately as the black clad Shinigami soldiers cleared a path for them. He would play along for the time being. This might well be the man to lead them to the leaders of the smuggling operation. If not, he did not feel that it would take much to dispense with him once he had outlived his usefulness. Then the man grabbed Sesshoumaru by the hair at the nape of his neck and told him to take off his weapons. 

Sesshoumaru could feel his vision turning red as his instincts and rage got the better of him. Tensaiga pulsed violently at his hip, demanding to be used in this place of death as he obeyed the man’s command, dropping both of his weapons to the ground one after the other with one hand as he used the corrosive claws on the other hand to dissolve the sword at his throat. He turned suddenly, breaking the sword off and jamming his claws deep into the chest of the man who dared to try and take him as a hostage. Releasing the corrosive aura that he could manifest through his claws and bite at will, he watched with grim satisfaction as the man flailed and screamed, his chest hissing and bubbling as the flesh fell away, leaving Sesshoumaru’s hand pristine and clean once he fell from it, landing in a steaming heap at the youkai lord’s feet. 

The world went quiet; the only sound the whirring rustle of Byakuya’s shikai as the delicate blades kept the area enclosed. Sesshoumaru looked around at the Shinigami, locals and thieves alike, who all stared at him in stunned and wary silence. Sesshoumaru leaned down and retrieved his swords from the ground, placing them back where they belonged at his waist. He looked around once more, feeling slight tinges of guilt, if he had been able to endure the treatment that man was giving him for a while longer, he might just have been able to salvage Byakuya’s plan, but it wasn’t to be. He had pulled his hair; there was no way he could tolerate that. It was time to do things his way. Putting the sternest, coldest look he could muster onto his face, he turned and addressed the throng of thieves and shinigami alike, who stood staring at him with horrified looks.

“Anyone with information to share with the Shinigami about the smuggling operation should line up over by Lieutenant Abari,” he said, pointing a steaming claw at the redheaded Shinigami.”You will be talking to Captain Kuchiki.  The ones with nothing worthwhile to share can line up over here and talk to me.”

Soon the sixth squad was busily collecting information from everyone involved, who suddenly found themselves able to remember details that might help in the investigation no matter how small. Sesshoumaru found himself with nothing more to do, but wait until the information was gathered and the rest of the thieves apprehended. He had no doubt that Byakuya was capable of handling the situation as it was, and his presence seemed to be causing some friction, so he decided to be on his way.  He turned and strolled to the edge of the senbonzakura’s barrier and contemplated it for a moment, the combination of beauty and brutality it possessed was pleasing to his senses. Also, the feeling of its owner that pervaded it was washing over him in waves as he stood there. It was a not entirely unwelcome sensation.

“Sesshoumaru,” Byakuya’s voice startled him and his heart skipped a beat as if he had just been caught doing something wrong, though he managed to keep an impassive face.

Before he could say more, Renji came rushing over. “What the hell was that?!” he shouted. “I don’t even know how to describe what you did there,” and, turning toward Byakuya, “Did you know he could do that? Is it safe to have him around?”

“Lieutenant,” Byakuya warned, nodding in approval as Renji straightened up his stance and took on a more neutral face. “I am as curious as you are about this technique, but I do not feel that Sesshoumaru-san is a threat at this point.”

Renji nodded, a bit embarrassed by his reaction; of course his captain would not allow anything too dangerous into the squad without a plan or a good reason. He was about to give a proper apology for his actions when Sesshoumaru became encased in a bright light which formed into a fairly small ball and shot right through the barrier Byakuya had up, seemingly not harming himself or the integrity of the sphere of swirling blades. “Did you know he could do that?” he asked in a bit of a daze, pointing dumbly between the place Sesshoumaru was and the place he had shot through the barrier.

Byakuya stood, looking at the same spot, his mouth open the slightest bit and his eyes wide, he couldn’t explain it, but it had felt like Sesshoumaru had somehow blended his energy with that of his zanpakuto and briefly merged with it as he passed through unscathed. The effect had been like an electric shock to the core of his being and it wasn’t welcome. No one should be able to just pass through his Shikai without his permission.

“Captain?” Renji asked after no answer was forthcoming.

Byakuya schooled his features into their normal appearance and turned to his second in command. “I know little of his capabilities, but it seems that Sesshoumaru-san would make a formidable opponent,” he stated, turning to look over the crowd of new informants his squad was dealing with. As soon as they were done here, he had questions he wanted answers for.

Sesshoumaru slowed down, landing gently on his feet. Moving through Byakuya’s Shikai had been more difficult than he thought it would be. Taking stock of where he was, he began walking. There was no way of knowing how far he was from the youkai burial grounds, but his sharp instincts told him he was going in the right direction. He was finished with his task in tracking down the thieves. Killing that man had vented his anger somewhat, and now he was more than willing to let the Shinigami deal with the rest. 


	10. Chapter 10

“Look, Kenny, there’s Fluffy-chan,” a high pitched voice floated from behind him. Sesshoumaru briefly considered running away, but he couldn’t quite bear the injury it would cause his pride to have run from an overenthusiastic young girl. Turning slowly, he came face to chest with a monster of a shinigami male. Not giving any ground, but tilting his head up, he could see the brute was looking down at him with a contemplative expression on his scarred face. He had a patch over one eye, a scar that ran vertically from forehead to chin over the uncovered eye, and craggy features with a mane of dark brown hair that swept back from his head.  So this was her Kenny. He was at least a head taller than Sesshoumaru; who was considered tall where he was from. A tuft of pink hair floated from behind one of his broad shoulders oddly reminding Sesshoumaru of his own Mokomoko.

“Hi, Fluffy-chan!” Yachiru said cheerfully, popping up high enough over Kenpachi’s shoulder that Sesshoumaru could see her face, and waving at him.

“I told you to call me ‘Sesshoumaru-sama,’” Sesshoumaru reminded her, agitated at the nickname.

“Give up, Byakuaya Kuchiki could never get her to call him all proper like either an’ he’s been tryin’ for years,” Kenpachi informed him with a sharp toothed grin.

“That is most likely because no one has taught the child proper manners,” Sesshoumaru said icily.

“That sounds about right,” Kenpachi agreed with a shrug. Not like it was his problem or anything; Yachiru called everyone by weird nicknames so it wasn’t anything special either. “So, Yachiru tells me you actually caught her sneaking around the Kuchiki estate,” he said it more like a question. The guy in front of him looked too prissy to be as tough as Yachiru had said, but looks could be deceiving, as was the case with Byakuya Kuchiki and Jushiro Ukitake. Still, he didn’t want to waste his time if this one wasn’t as strong as she made him out to be. Ichigo was in town and he was always a hell of a fight, if he could get him to separate his pelvis from Abari-san’s long enough to goad him into it. He had decided it was useless to go to Abari’s place to challenge Ichigo about the third or fourth time he walked in on them corn-holing each other, so he had to wait until he ran into him out and about. So since he had to kill time anyway and they had happened upon this Fluffy guy, he figured maybe he could have a little fun.

“Yes, she has a warren of tunnels under that place; I don’t know why Kuchiki-san allows it,” Sesshoumaru replied. There was no doubt in his mind that if Byakuya truly wanted to keep her out he would find a way. So, for whatever reason, he was allowing the invasion on his territory.

“You caught her without any trouble at all?” Kenpachi asked, he had expected the man to brag about his ability to catch his lieutenant, a feat even he wasn’t up to on some days.

“She has quite a mouth on her,” Sesshoumaru stated. It had taken him a good twenty minutes of tracking and the fact that his natural instincts for the hunt were keen, but she was not the most difficult quarry he had ever hunted by a long shot. “I fail to see the point in this conversation. I will be on my way now,” he finished, turning to leave.

“You should never turn your back on your opponent, you know,” Kenpachi said as he drew his sword and took a swing at Sesshoumaru.

Bakusaiga was out and blocking Kenpachi’s blade before it got near him. “I was unaware that we were fighting, pardon the mistake,” Sesshoumaru told him, leaping away, and turning to face him once more. As soon as his foot touched the ground, Sesshoumaru sprang forward with an attack, but veered off at the last second as a stream of pink petal blades cut him off from his opponent.

“Oy! Kuchiki, what are ya doing interrupting my fun?” Kenpachi said, throwing his sword up onto his shoulder as he kept an eye on both potential opponents. Hell, he would love to take on Kuchiki again, but he didn’t want to hear about it from the Captain Commander. He was impressed as he watched this Sesshoumaru guy ready himself in case both he and Kuchiki charged him, he had good fighting instincts.

“Byakuchki looks upset. I wonder what’s eating him,” Yachiru mused out loud as she leapt from Kenpachi’s shoulder and found a nearby rock to sit on, and watch the goings on.

Sesshoumaru gathered himself, ready to take on this new opponent as well, relaxing only slightly when a follow up attack didn’t come immediately. He watched both Shinigami warily.

“I have business with Sesshoumaru, Captain Zaraki, you will have to postpone your fight.”

“What do you mean postpone? Hell, I’ll take you both on,” Kenpachi said.

“Leave us; this is no concern of yours,” Byakuya said as he turned to face the inu youkai. “How did you get through my shikai?” he asked sternly.

Sesshoumaru actually cocked his head to the side a fraction over that. As far as he was concerned the barrier had not been meant to contain him, he was not the enemy. He had not considered that his ability to move through the barrier when he chose would trouble Byakuya.  “I apologize, but your shikai is not a strong barrier. It was not my intention to upset you. I was unaware that you thought I was also confined by it.”

Byakuya stood there, twitching a little. Sesshoumaru thought his shikai was weak? He could feel his own spirit pressure rising as he reached the edge of what his temper could handle for the day. How dare he call his shikai a weak barrier, how dare he go through it as if he were powerfully and gracefully leaping through a layer of wet tissue paper, leaving an empty spot where he passed through in his soul, and how dare he leave without at least saying goodbye! No scratch that last part he really didn’t feel hurt over that at all, whatsoever, but the insult to his shikai, yeah, that was what had him pissed off. He was about to say something about his shikai being plenty strong when he was rudely interrupted.

Kenpachi laughed loudly. “I think I will go find Kurosaki and fight him until you two get done with your little lover’s quarrel here. Oh, and, Byakuya Kuchiki, he is right. That sword of yours makes a weak barrier, if you have enough spirit pressure to keep those little fucking blades off of you.” Then he turned and started walking away. “Come on, Yachiru, help me find that Kurosaki brat,” he said to his second in command on his way by.

“Let’s go, Kenny, I think we should head that way,” she said, hopping up onto his shoulder and pointing to the right.

Sesshoumaru felt a sense of déjà vu as he watched the big man and little girl who believed in his superiority over all others speed off into the maze of buildings that surrounded the Soul Society.

Byakuya considered aiming a binding kido at Kenpachi’s ankles to trip him out of spite. The insinuation about them having a lover’s quarrel was expected, thus it didn’t faze him. He was livid that the eleventh squad captain would agree with Sesshoumaru on the weakness about his shikai. The only thing that held him back from starting an epic fight with Captain Zaraki was the fact that he still had Sesshoumaru himself standing right there to deal with.

Sesshoumaru watched Byakuya’s face as he stared daggers at Kenpachi’s back. He looked … adorable. It was an odd thought, but he found the petulant, completely pissy look he was wearing somehow endearing; until he turned it on him.

“What?” Byakuya asked, trying to figure out exactly what the curious look, Sesshoumaru was giving him, meant.

Sesshoumaru supposed the truth would do no harm. “I just noticed that you are cute when you’re angry.”

Byakuya’s brain sputtered to a sudden stop. He was not sure at first that he had heard Sesshoumaru correctly.  He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. This was wrong; Byakuya Kuchiki did not blush, ever. He couldn’t figure out what advantage this gave Sesshoumaru but it made him feel off balance and at a disadvantage somehow, and he did not like that feeling one bit. Once he could form words again the first ones out of his mouth were more gut reaction than anything. “I am the captain of the sixth squad of the thirteen protection squads for the Soul Society. I am the head of the noble Kuchiki household and I am out of patience with you. My shikai is not weak, I am not cute, and you will tell me how you are able to move through it without my permission, after which I don’t want to ever see you again.”

 

Sesshoumaru had not expected this angry response to his simple compliment. His first reaction was to lash back, but for some reason he didn’t have the will to fight. Perhaps he had been too eager to befriend the man and stepped over some boundary he was unaware of. Hiding his disappointment, he answered, “I simply overpowered you. I raised my youkai energy to surpass your spirit energy and used that to deflect your shikai for the moments it took to pass through. If you truly don’t want to see me again, you may send one of your subordinates to collect your belongings from my shop. I know the way home from here, so there is no need for an escort. I will miss your company, Kuchiki-san.”

Sesshoumaru turned and walked down the road toward the outer edges of the Soul Society, mulling over this recent development. He had been so pleased to find someone who was on his level socially and that he still found interesting. He wondered how he had developed an attachment to him already though, they hardly knew each other. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he had turned from friendly politeness to outright flirting, but this immediate rejection had stung. Perhaps Byakuya had been thinking of him as more of an acquaintance or friend instead of something deeper. Sesshoumaru had been looking at Byakuya as a potential mate from the start; though it took him quite a while to realize it. Byakuya was certainly attractive enough, he was a powerful fighter, and a noble, and not a human. Damn, this was the first being he had met in his seven hundred plus years as a mature adult to meet all of his strict standards, and he had rejected him out of hand. He was thinking, not for the first time, that perhaps he was destined to live a solitary existence.

Byakuya watched as Sesshoumaru went farther and farther away down the road. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt as if he had just made a mistake.

Renji stepped out of an alleyway from where he had been quietly observing them. Byakuya’s harsh words to Sesshoumaru had caused him to wince, he was sure being on the receiving end of them was even worse. Judging by the look on Byakuya’s face, he was regretting saying them as well. His captain could be so dense sometimes. He hadn’t looked so alive and happy in all of the time Renji had known him as he had in the last few days. He could leave and let Byakuya handle things in his usual ignore it and it will go away manner… He could.

“And they all wonder why you are still single…” Renji said, shaking his head as he stepped out of the alleyway.

“Lieutenant, what do you mean by that?”

 Renji fought the urge to face-palm. “Captain, you do realize that your new friend just tried flirting with you in a major way, and you rejected him without a second thought, right?”

“Flirting? He insulted my strength and then belittled me … that was flirting?” Byakuya seemed to have a hard time wrapping his head around the idea.

“That was classic flirting.  Let’s try another angle here. Who, if anyone, would you think of as being cute when they are angry or otherwise?”

Byakuya had to think about that for a minute. He thought Rukia could be cute when she was peeved, but it was because she resembled his late wife so much. Hisana had rarely been angry, but the few times she had been, he had thought she was stunning when she was venting her wrath upon those who so richly deserved it. Yes, Hisana had been beautiful when she was angry.

“Okay, one more example. I think that that scowl Ichigo tends to wear on his face most of the time is kind of cute, and when he pouts he is downright adorable. That is because I like him and find him attractive. I wouldn’t have had the balls to tell him that to his face before I knew he liked me back, either, because that kind of rejection hurts. If you don’t like him then you handled things well enough, but from what I have seen, you might have messed up big time just now.”

Byakuya looked in the direction Sesshoumaru had gone. He had been flirting? He liked him? How to respond to that… something warm and liquid seemed to be pooling in his chest. He hadn’t thought about it until Renji said something, but he had felt more alive than he had in years since meeting him. At first he had found him egotistical and annoying, but somewhere along the line he had somehow become used to his demeanor. He thought back to the last words Sesshoumaru had said and realized he too would miss the other’s company. 

 “Captain, why are you standing here?  Go after him,” Renji said, making shooing motions with his hands. He knew his commander well enough to know that he would let things sit the way they were, no matter how miserable it made him, unless he gave him a shove in the right direction. “I will tell the Captain Commander that you are performing a thorough investigation of Sesshoumaru, for security purposes. You know, since he seems to have some unusual abilities,” he added with a wide grin.

“That is right, Lieutenant Abari, I really should find out more about this Sesshoumaru and his abilities, for the good of the Soul Society,” Byakuya deadpanned, before adding, “And, Renji, thank you, you are a good friend.” He flash stepped down the road in the direction Sesshoumaru had gone.

Renji sighed and started back for the Soul Society. He really did want to see the man happy for several reasons. It wasn’t that he was not ecstatically blissful in his relationship with Ichigo, but a part of his heart would always belong to his captain. He had spent far too long obsessing over the man for it to be any other way. He would also have to bear the brunt of Byakuya’s displeasure if he returned to work upset over how things had ended. He really hoped things worked out for Byakuya and Sesshoumaru, for his own sake.

 


	11. Chapter 11

After less than a mile, Byakuya let his pace slow, he needed time to think before he actually caught up to Sesshoumaru. What would he say? Would Sesshoumaru even want to see him again? He had spoken like he would, but now that he had time to mull it over, would he be angry?

If he caught up with him and could smooth things over, would he be setting himself up to be in a relationship with Sesshoumaru?

Was that something he wanted, or was anywhere near ready for?

Shaking his head to clear it, he walked at a much slower pace, not quite ready to face Sesshoumaru just yet. He had a lot to mull over.

That night he slept in the back room of a small bar where he had stopped to eat. The next morning, he awoke and realized that Sesshoumaru had not halted moving during the night and was much further away than he had assumed he would be judging from the fact that he could feel only a faint bit of his youkai energy in the distance. He could still find him by it, or if necessary, he could ask where he had passed by; it was not as if he were an unremarkable figure to travel through unnoticed.

He was starting to catch up to him once again when two familiar figures stepped out of a small, cozy looking bar.

“Captain Kuchiki, what brings you to this part of the soul society?” Shunsui Kyouraku asked mildly.

“Don’t be rude, “Jushiro Ukitake rebuked his companion with a slight elbow to the ribs for emphasis. “I am sure young Byakuya is not here to cause us any sort of trouble. Am I right, Captain Kuchiki?”

Byakuya nodded, ruffled a little bit that the older man referred to him as if he were still a child, but then, compared to the two captains before him, he was still young. “I am here on business of my own, and unfortunately I cannot visit, so I must be leaving. Please have a pleasant day,” Byakuya answered, trying to get free, before he lost all trace of Sesshoumaru’s energy.

“Wait,” Jushiro said, stepping in front of him, “Is this squadron business or personal business?” he asked.

“It is both,” Byakuya answered, it would be easy enough to lie about that, but in the long run lying to your fellow captains would set a precedent he didn’t want to start.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with that unusual person you brought home with you from your last trip to the living world would it?” Jushiro asked.

“I don’t think that is any of your business.” Byakuya wasn’t about to answer any questions along the lines of which he feared this was heading. He tried to step around Captain Ukitake only to have his path blocked by a grinning Captain Kyouraku.

“Ju-san, I think he is in an awful hurry to take leave of our presence, perhaps we haven’t been friendly enough in our dealings with little Byakuya,” he said, rubbing his chin as if in thought about the matter, and giving his friend a pointed look.

“Shunsui, I am sure he is just eager to catch up to his… friend. We should let him be on his way and ask him about it at a later time,” Captain Ukitake said, looking earnestly, and nodding at his companion.

“But what if he needs our advice, you know on the bees and the bees, since I doubt he has given the mechanics of -” A hand was clasped over his mouth as Jushiro pulled him into something akin to a headlock.

“It appears my friend has had a bit too much to drink, I apologize, Captain Kuchiki, please be on your way,” he said as he pulled Captain Kyouraku off to the side of the roadway they had been blocking.

Byakuya didn’t stay to insist on an apology, he just walked on, following the faint trace of Sesshoumaru’s presence. In the distance behind him, he could hear Jushiro whispering something to Shunsui, followed by an “Ow! You bit me!” and then, “Grease, lots of grease,” hollered after him. He chose to keep walking and not respond to that. He still wasn’t sure what he would say to Sesshoumaru when he caught up with him, so he followed behind and hoped he would think of something before that happened.

It had been three days. Sesshoumaru walked at a steady pace toward the resting place of his father in the borderlands between the world of the living and the world of the dead. He had noticed Byakuya following him soon after their last conversation, but neither stopped to acknowledge his presence, nor tried to elude him. He merely fell into a pattern he had learned long ago that would allow him to move freely to where he was going without losing the one who followed him. Once he determined that Byakuya was trailing behind him on purpose, he felt a small stirring in his heart. By the second day that feeling had rooted deeper. Why else would the man be following him if he weren’t trying to find a way to gracefully resume some sort of relationship?

 He was still traveling within the realm of the soul society, but his surroundings had changed over time. The further he traveled away from the center of the city, the less civilized it became. What had been fine homes behind tall walls and clean streets had gradually become dirt tracks with ramshackle housing. While it had been easy to leave an obvious trail so far for Byakuya to follow, sometimes hours behind him, soon he was going to have to leave the roadways and he was not certain of the shinigami’s ability to track him once he did. He was not sure if he should slow down and let him catch up or continue on as things were and see if Byakuya either approached him or lost his trail. He was soon coming to the end of the inhabited area of the soul society and he would have to come to a decision quickly.

It was no surprise when he noticed a small band of men following him as well. He supposed it was only a matter of time before his strange, modern clothing attracted attention. Not for the first time he wished he had stopped at his estate and changed into his favorite outfit, and armor, before embarking on this adventure. The jacket and slacks just did not allow for the freedom of movement he preferred in a fight.

“What do we have here?” one of the men asked, as the crowd moved in on him.

“He isn’t wearing the robes but he has long white hair and two swords, isn’t that what one of the captains in the protection squads is supposed to look like?” another man asked, after which the rest of the crowd fell back a little.

“Are you a Shinigami captain?” a young child asked from the crowd.

“No, I am not a Shinigami,” Sesshoumaru answered as he continued walking down the road.

Some of the men in the crowd rushed up to block his way. “We’re not done with you yet. We have a few more questions,” one of them said.

Sesshoumaru tried not to show his pleasure at this turn of events. While he should, and normally would, eviscerate the men in front of him and be on his way, this was now a nearly perfect excuse for Byakuya to make his presence known, and that alone saved their pathetic afterlives on this day.

“Are those swords special, like zanpakuto?” someone asked.

Sesshoumaru had heard Byakuya refer to his sword as one, but he was unaware it had meant something special. “Zanpakuto?” He couldn’t resist his curiosity.

“Yeah, soul reapers all have them, they say they are forged from their souls and all have special abilities, and some even use kido attacks.”

Sesshoumaru could feel Tensaiga still pulsing to be freed as it had been off and on since arriving in the Soul Society, he was not sure exactly what would happen if he unleashed its power here, and dared not draw it to find out. Then he thought of Bakusaiga’s explosive corrosion wave as well. “No. They are only swords.”

The crowd parted as Byakuya moved toward where Sesshoumaru stood. Murmurs of “it’s a Shinigami” and “isn’t that Captain Kuchiki?” followed him.

“Took you long enough,” Sesshoumaru said as Byakuya approached, and before Byakuya could say anything, he gave the crowd around them a disdainful glance before saying, “Follow me,” and taking off at a pace that left them far behind almost immediately.

Byakuya saw no reason not to follow as this was what he had been doing for days already. Soon he was hot on Sesshoumaru’s heels as they traveled past the sparse farmlands and deep into the uninhabited wilderness surrounding the Rukon.

They traveled at a good clip late into the day, and eventually Byakuya started to get tired and hungry. He stopped at one point to rest and soon Sesshoumaru returned to the clearing he had chosen with enough kindling to start a fire. After getting the fire going, he left and returned once more with an armload of wood and a large leaf wrapped around a few handfuls of berries. Stacking the wood near the fire, and giving the berries to Byakuya, he left once again.

While he was gone, Byakuya stacked some rocks next to the fire into a makeshift fire pit, leaving the ground near the fire a bit more comfortable to sit upon. He then walked around the edge of the clearing, seeking and finding a small clump of bamboo with large enough stalks to cut one into makeshift drinking cups. He wished he had known they would be camping; he would have bought tea leaves and a vessel to heat water in. Still, having cups to drink from was at least more civilized than drinking directly from the gourd canteen he had bought two days prior on his way through the upper Rukon districts.  At least the weather was clear so finding shelter from rain wouldn’t be an issue.

After a while, Sesshoumaru came back to their camp with a fish, cleaned and skewered onto a stick, which he placed over the fire to cook, before taking a seat against a tree a bit away from the fire. Byakuya set to work making more cups and a set of chopsticks for each of them to eat with. He set about dividing the berries into two cups. Then he checked on the fish, which was almost done.

“Dinner will be ready soon, what part of the fish do you prefer?” he asked.

Sesshoumaru didn’t look his way, but replied,” I do not need anything at this time. Take all of the food for yourself; I can hear your stomach rumbling from here.”

“I admit, I am hungry, but there is enough here to share, if that is your concern. Have you eaten since we left the living world?” Byakuya could not remember seeing him eat anything since that interrupted meal days ago, was it only days, it seemed so long ago with so much happening.

“I have not. You will have to forgive me for being suspicious, but there are multiple tales that imply that eating food from the land of the dead is a trap. I have no wish to live here permanently,” Sesshoumaru said. He still had his lands and youkai subjects to protect. If going hungry for a while was all it took to ensure that he was able to return to his lands, then he would wait until he was able to feast within his own halls and that was that.

Byakuya stared at him for a moment, he could think of many examples that blew that theory out of the water, but he didn’t know if he was in good enough standing with the other noble to argue the point. Instead, he rifled through his pockets finding that, as far as food went, he had some spicy sesame crackers and some of his personal stash of Seaweed Ambassador Snacks on hand. The sesame crackers had come from the living world, a gift from Rukia on her most recent assignment. Pulling the package from his robes, he offered them to Sesshoumaru. “These came from a convenience store in Osaka; you can have them if you wish.”

Sesshoumaru could just reach the bag from where he was seated. He looked at the cellophane bag with its cardboard label, there was no doubt it came from the living world. He could also smell the potent chili oil, even through the wrapper. He considered turning it down, but it was a nice gesture on Byakuya’s part and he didn’t want to let it go unrewarded. He tasted one of the crackers, finding it to be tasty, but a bit spicy for his preference. He would have much preferred a meal like he was used to at home, but he was not at home and he was a little hungry. Besides, he was not about to allow a mere human food cause any noticeable discomfort to the great Lord of the West, Sesshoumaru. Still, after about half of the bag, he handed them back to Byakuya. “Thank you, for sharing,” he told him, hoping the shinigami would not insist on him finishing the hot little crackers.

Byakuya took the crackers, using a few to season his fish, and putting the rest back into his pocket. The rest of dinner passed in a not too uncomfortable silence. Neither of them seemed inclined to revisit the argument earlier and, much to Byakuya’s relief, Sesshoumaru was not inclined to gloat over his following him all of this way, after stating his desire to never see him again. Soon it was dark and Sesshoumaru told Byakuya that he was going to patrol the area, and that it would be a good time to sleep if he was going to. Byakuya could see no reason not to get some sleep while he could and stretched out by the fire, allowing himself to drift into a light doze as befit a trained warrior.

Sesshoumaru didn’t patrol far, making sure Byakuya had a few hours of uninterrupted time to sleep, but after finding nothing at all in the area, he returned to the camp. The fire had burned low and Byakuya lay on his side, slightly shivering from the cool night air. Without a word or warning, Sesshoumaru stretched himself out on the ground beside him and wrapped the length of his mokomoko over him to ward off the cold. If Byakuya noticed, he didn’t say anything, but relaxed into a deeper sleep almost immediately.

Byakuya had noticed Sesshoumaru’s return, but the soft, fluffy, warmth was welcome and to his mind nothing could stand up to both of them together so he let himself relax into a comfortable sleep. 


	12. Chapter 12

 

 

As the dawn broke over the wilderness Sesshoumaru took advantage of the increasing light to study the other as he slept. Byakuya lay on his back, his head resting on Sesshoumaru’s arm. The noble’s silky black hair lay in tendrils around his head, standing out starkly against sesshoumaru’s mokomoko where it was draped across his neck and shoulders and continued down over his body keeping him warm.

 

His face was relaxed and his lips slightly parted as he breathed steadily, occasionally snoring very softly. Sesshoumaru thought this might be his favorite look on Byakuya’s face yet. He had thought he was absolutely adorable when he was pissed, but he was almost angelic sleeping. He couldn’t wait to catalogue every possible expression on his handsome features, letting his imagination carry him to fantasize what he would look like in other situations… other, more intense, sexier situations. His own breathing pattern may have changed just a bit, or perhaps the dawn had made things bright enough to be noticeable, but Byakuya opened those big, deep-grey eyes and looked up at Sesshoumaru.

 

He wasn’t sure what to think, but Sesshoumaru leaned forward and kissed him, and thinking became a quaint notion from some other place and time. There was nothing gentle in the kiss, it was possessive and raw and needy, Sesshoumaru was moving on instinct alone. After centuries of denying himself, he had reached a point where his self control was at its end.

 

Byakuya struggled initially, he felt like he was being swept off of his feet and by his very nature it made him uncomfortable. He wanted this, physically he wanted it badly. It had been so long since he had allowed any intimate contact with anyone that his body seemed to scream, begging to be touched. The fact that the one currently kissing him was strong, demanding, and very male did nothing to dampen his need. However, he almost pushed him away, before his internal gears caught up to the situation. He knew deep down inside that there was no other reason to follow Sesshoumaru across the entirety of the Soul Society and into the wilderness beyond if this weren’t what he wanted.  It was just that the sudden onslaught had caught him a little off guard. It took less that the space of three breaths of the quickly warming, morning air and soon he was kissing Sesshoumaru hungrily, trying to assert himself as the natural leader he was born to be.

 

Sesshoumaru was having none of that; he twisted himself over until he had Byakuya pinned beneath him. The shinigami’s struggles against him were more frustration at being held down than a serious attempt at escape, struggles that took on a different rhythm when something achingly hard pressed into Sesshoumaru’s thigh.

 

Clothes were not so much removed as pushed out of the way, rumpled victims of a desperate need for skin to skin contact. Sesshoumaru’s jacket was tossed aside as unneeded. Byakuya’s shinigami robe was opened to reveal his chest, which Sesshoumaru attacked, licking and nipping, needing to taste and to mark him. Soon there was no barrier between their heated groins, both swollen hard under velvety soft skin, slick with excitement and need. Hips rocked into each other, sliding in blissful friction as they desperately writhed against each other. The pressure built until the moment of white hot incoherency as they both crested and climaxed together uttering incoherent, guttural cries into the morning breeze blowing over the empty wilderness.

 

Byakuya lay there, catching his breath and watching, as Sesshoumaru nonchalantly lapped up the mess they had made on his chest and stomach. He couldn’t say the sight wasn’t affecting him, but he also was not sure he would be comfortable returning the favor. He was unsure if he could stomach the taste. Fortunately, Sesshoumaru seemed to have noticed his discomfort and pulled a small square of cloth from his jacket pocket, proceeding to wipe himself off with it before rearranging his clothes into their proper place on his body. He lay down once more, wrapping an arm around Byakuya, and said, “We will resume our journey after a short rest.”

 

Byakuya nodded his head in answer; sure he had used muscles he didn’t know existed during their … lovemaking? Sudden, needy rutting? Whatever the hell it was. He breathed a deep, contented sigh and snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru. Whatever it had been, it was no doubt just the tip of the iceberg for what he could expect from now on. He smiled a bit as he decided he liked that idea. Still he wasn’t sure where things were between them.

  
“Sesshoumaru, am I correct in assuming that this was the beginning of some kind of relationship between us?”

 

“Yes, we are mates.”

 

“I see.”  Byakuya decided he could live with that for the time being, eventually he would find out exactly what being mates entailed. Asking too many questions about it seemed silly and somewhat insecure. That was not the impression he wanted to give Sesshoumaru.

 

Sesshoumaru lay there, cuddling Byakuya close to him. He was thinking about his chosen destination, suddenly almost nervous. His father was long gone. Taking Byakuya to his gravesite would be the closest he could come to introducing his new mate to his honored memory. He then remembered, he would have to eventually introduce Byakuya to his mother. He almost smirked, imagining how that meeting would most likely go.

 

Their cuddle time over, they got up and headed out on their way to Sesshomaru’s father’s tomb. The sun was shining brilliantly through the trees along the path they took, and though there was no reason to hurry, the sooner they made it to a place where they could bathe, the better in both of their somewhat sticky, sweaty opinions.

 

The trees soon gave way to broken, sparsely vegetated ground and Byakuya found he was looking into a large valley. Even at this distance there was no trouble making out the huge statue of a skeleton leaning against a hummock in the center of the valley. Still wearing armor, it brought to mind Captain Saijin Komamura’s bankai. “That is your father’s grave?” he asked, impressed. He hadn’t even known that this outside of Soul Society and the human world existed before now.

 

“Yes, the final resting place of my father, the Inu no Taisho,” Sesshoumaru answered simply.

 

As they approached, Byakuya began to notice the grim detail in the craftsmanship of this tomb. It wasn’t until they were very near that he realized that this was no sculpted monument but rather an enormous skeleton.

 

Sesshoumaru walked up to a spot shielded from the elements by the massive armor where a small incense bowl sat waiting, a few burnt sticks still in the sand. He looked around and found a small tube with incense and added two new sticks, lighting them with matches that were also in the tube, the match book was from a night club in New York. So that was where the fox kit had gotten off to these days. Not actually a kit any longer, Sesshoumaru refused to think of him any other way still.

 

He stepped back and put his arm around Byakuya’s shoulders, wondering what his father would have thought about his choice for a mate. Not for the first time he felt himself tempted to try using Tenseiga to resurrect his father. As always before, he decided against it, knowing the sword was forged of his father’s fang so any attempt of that sort was bound to fail. He would just have to live his life on his terms and hope his father would have been proud of him.

 

They stood and watched the incense burn for a while, when Sesshoumaru turned to Byakuya. “From here I am heading to the living world, and my own lands. My retainer is capable but I have to be there to watch over things. Will you come and stay with me there?”

 

A heavy weight settled in Byakuya’s stomach. He shook his head, “I too have lands and people depending on me.” The reality of the situation sunk in as he realized things between them were going to be difficult at best. But he was Byakuya Kuchiki, if he wanted a relationship with this man, and he did, then who was going to be able to stop him? No one. “I will see you again soon, but I had best go report back to the first captain that you are no threat to the Soul Society soon.”

 

“If you accompany me to my home, you can return faster through your senkaimon gate than traversing the length of the Soul Society,” Sesshoumaru offered, not wanting to stoop to begging, but they had not had near enough time together for his liking. He wanted to show Byakuya his home, and sleep next to him in his own bed, and other things that he needed to quit thinking about as he waited for an answer.

 

Byakuya couldn’t argue with that logic, so he nodded in agreement. “How far from here is it?” he asked.

 

“We should be there before nightfall,” Sesshoumaru answered, steering Byakuya toward the gateway back to the living world.

 


	13. Chapter 13

At the gateway between the youkai graveyard and the living world, two formidable gate guardians attempted to bar their way, but quickly backed down once Sesshoumaru drew his Tensaiga.

 

Byakuya could feel a sense of wrongness in the air around the sword. He reached toward it only to have Sesshoumaru grab his arm and stop him from touching it.

 

“This sword has some unusual abilities, it can bring the dead back to life in the living world. I am unsure what it would do to anything it came into contact with here. I don’t believe it would be safe for you to touch it.”

 

That was one interesting sword.  “Does it only work on youkai?” Byakuya asked, his curiosity piqued. If this sword could bring the dead back to life it may well cause trouble for the shinigami at some point.

 

“No, it also works on humans,” Sesshoumaru answered without further elaboration at first, but after a long pause he added, “There was this child that had shown me a kindness once…”

 

They passed the time with Sesshoumaru telling Byakuya about the girl he had resurrected from the dead and eventually came to love as family. Byakuya in turn, told him about the sister he adopted and the circumstances surrounding that, including that is was the theft of Hisana’s comb had sent him out to deal with the culprit personally and ultimately led to their meeting.

 

Soon they came upon a large, formal estate. The main house was almost like an Edo period castle and the grounds were kept beautifully. Sesshoumaru led him through the front gardens and into his home. He didn’t announce his arrival, but nevertheless a short green fellow came running up the main entryway to greet him.

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru! It is so good to see you, even though you were not supposed to return until tomorrow, but as long as nothing is the matter it is wonderful to have you home,” a small, green, froggish looking imp said as he bowed and scraped before Sesshoumaru. He never took his eyes off of Byakuya, but not asking any of the obvious questions could be read on his face.

 

“Jaken, we have a guest. I would like to introduce you to my mate, Byakuya Kuchiki.”

 

Jaken’s already large, yellow eyes got impossibly larger and his mouth drew up into itself for just a second, before he looked from Byakuya to his Lord Sesshoumaru’s face. “You’re serious?” he asked in a tiny, trembling voice.

 

Sesshoumaru nodded, once.

 

What happened next was a blur as Jaken rushed toward Byakuya making a high pitched squealing noise, arms stretched out wide. He started shooting questions, that he then answered himself, as he inspected Byakuya, pulling at his robes and examining his hands. “Where did he find you? Right, no, that doesn’t matter. What kind of youkai are you? I bet you are strong, and a noble of some sort too, look at those hands, good with a sword as well from where those calluses are.”  Finally, after being rapped sharply on the head, he turned to Sesshoumaru and shouted “Lord Sesshoumaru, I’m so happy for you,” before collapsing into a dazed heap on the floor.

 

“Jaken, I would like something to eat,” Sesshoumaru said in a firm, commanding voice.

 

“Yes m’lord,” Jaken chirped as he leapt to his feet and waddled off at full speed, humming something under his breath.

 

“Is he always like that?” Byakuya asked, looking quizzically at the retreating imp.

 

“No,” Sesshoumaru answered. He had been almost certain Jaken would disapprove vehemently of anyone he brought home as a mate, especially a male who could not give him an heir. Perhaps he had waited a bit longer than he realized and Jaken was happy to accept anyone he chose, or perhaps Jaken was merely covering his true feelings about it extraordinarily well. Putting any consideration about Jaken out of his mind was easy enough when he realized he was home, with Byakuya and his bed chamber was a few moments walk from where they were standing. Wrapping an arm around Byakuya, he asked, “Would you like to tour the rest of the estate, or go straight to my room?”

 

Byakuya glanced around. The estate was impressive, he could even say palatial. But he had spent a lifetime in expensive, impressive places and at the moment the thought of being alone in Sesshoumaru’s private room was much more interesting to him. However, he was not about to admit that in so many words. “I will leave that up to you,” he replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

 

Sesshoumaru grabbed Byakuya by the hand and half dragged, half led him to his quarters. He did not care if it made him look needy, horny, and impatient, because he was all of those things and more. Once he had securely latched his bedroom door behind them, he grabbed Byakuya, pressing him against the door and kissing him passionately. From his enthusiastic reaction, it appeared that he was in much the same state. Their first encounter had been a frenzied, wild, mad race to the finish line, not that either one would trade that experience for anything, but now the opportunity to enjoy each other in the fullest had presented itself. Who wouldn’t take advantage of that?

 

Sesshomaru toyed with the idea of fucking Byakuya into the rough tatami mat at their feet right then and there, but as satisfying as that would be; it wasn’t what he really wanted. Growling softly, he pulled back, placing a hand on Byakuya’s lips to silence his protests.  The tai youkai moved back from the door and led the way to his comfortable futon, which was placed prominently on a raised wooden platform in the main part of his room. Moonlight streamed in from the large windows that surrounded the head of the futon, partially illuminating the soft blankets and a few plump pillows.

 

Clothes were shed as they eagerly explored each other’s bodies, caressing each other all over and kissing passionately. They stretched out onto the futon together, taking the time to study each other that they had not earlier.

 

 Lying there together, Byakuya traced the faint magenta marking on Sesshomaru’s hip, chuckling softly when he lifted his leg to rest it on his own.

 

Sesshomaru shifted slightly, bringing their bodies closer together. He ground cock against his mate’s growing hardness, letting out a soft whine as the pleasurable sensations ran down his spine. He wanted him and he wanted him now! Sesshomaru let out another soft whine as he gently eased his mate onto his back. He frowned at the amused expression on Byakuya’s face.

 

“I’m sorry, but you sound like a dog when you whimper like that.”

 

“This Sesshomaru doesn’t whimper.”

 

 “If you say so,” Byakuya replied, reaching between them to take hold of Sesshoumaru’s cock, giving it a firm tug and trailing his thumb over the sensitive area just below the head.

 

Sesshoumaru held back, though even with his best effort he still made a high pitched keening noise through clenched teeth and Byakuya decided that this would never do. He wanted to hear every appreciative sound he could get the other to make loud and clear. “Personally, I like to hear those kinds of noises from you, but if it hurts your pride or is too embarrassing, I could be careful not to touch you in a way that could elicit such a noise ever again if that is your wish,” he smirked as he removed his hand from between them and moved it to safer territory.

 

The look Sesshoumaru gave him for that was awesome, glowering and pleading at the same time. “You have made your point,” Seshoumaru said, nipping at Byakuya’s jaw line, and nuzzling his way down to his neck, determined to ‘elicit’ a few noises from his partner as well. “Touch me in any way you wish.”

 

Byakuya reached between them once more, taking both of their cocks in hand, and stroking them.  This time when Sesshomaru whined, he added his own low moan.  “You want me to continue…?” he murmured huskily.

 

“No,” Sesshomaru growled. “I want to be inside you.”

 

He had said it with such quiet force that it sent shivers down Byakuya’s spine. Now he was the one whimpering, when Sesshomaru crawled to the edge of the bed, and began rummaging around a collection of bottles and jars on a low shelf near the bedside. He returned to the center of the bed seconds later, holding a small vial. Trying to remember everything he had ever heard about pleasing a lover, he tapped his finger against the vial nervously and then remembered his long, pointy claws just may be an issue. He looked down at the dark haired Shinigami and decided he could be nearly as lethal if he were to dull a couple of them.

 

Byakuya watched as Sesshomaru raised his left hand to his lips and place the sharp claw of his third digit between his teeth and deftly nipped it off, taking a second to round the edges with his teeth, before spitting the pieces of sharp nail out, and repeating the process with the claw next to it. Byakuya had been wondering about that, how it would work if he was to be the one receiving, considering those sharp appendages. He lay back with his heart beating strongly in his chest, a little apprehensive for what was to come, but not about to back down now. Watching Sesshoumaru test for ragged edges on the newly shorn nails with the sensitive, pink, tip of his tongue was a show worth watching in and of itself. 

 

Satisfied with his handiwork, Sesshoumaru moved between Byakuya’s legs and leaned down, kissing him deeply, and leaving little nips and kisses from his lips to his jaw line, and down onto his neck. He pressed their bodies flush, reviving his waning erection with the contact, and busied himself placing little pink kiss marks along the creamy skin of Byakuya’s collar bone. Surveying his handiwork, he left a few more light marks along his stomach and on the front of his hip blades. He was not sure if it was a possessive thing, wanting to mark the other as his own, or a youkaui thing telling him he should have marks on his skin. Either way, he found the result, a panting Byakuya lying on his bed, hair tousled, skin marked with pale pink in strategic places and eyes darkened by lust, quite beautiful.

 

He sat back on his legs, guiding Byakuya to bend his knees and raise his legs toward his chest. He drank in the sight with greedy eyes as he opened the vial and poured some clear, iridescent liquid onto his fingers. Byakuya closed his eyes and moaned when his lover reached down and parted his cheeks with one hand, applying the cold, slick liquid with the other.

 

Sesshomaru ran his finger around the entrance slowly for a while, before carefully pushing it in up to the first knuckle. Moving it in and out, he turned his finger, stretching his mate.  He did it a few times, before removing it and adding the other finger. Sesshomaru growled in a mix of satisfaction and pride that his mate was able to take prepping without flinching. He continued sliding his fingers in and out, taking his time and allowing the muscles to relax, before he started spreading them wider and stretching him farther. Byakuya flinched at one point and Sesshoumaru stopped, adding more lubricant, before inserting his fingers once more.

 

Byakuya’s body felt amazing around his fingers, tight, slick, and hot, and he could barely contain himself from taking him too soon, but he knew that it would cause his mate unnecessary pain if he weren’t patient enough and rushed things. Soon Byakuya was not merely enduring the presence of his fingers within him, but rocking his hips up to meet them. When Buyakuya began riding his fingers in earnest, Sesshomaru knew he was ready. He pulled out, and coated his poor, long neglected cock with the lube. Positioning himself between Byakuya’s legs, and bending him at the knees, he pressed against the gates of heaven, slowly sliding inside.

 

Byakuya moaned. His lover’s fingers had felt good, but there was something to be said for finally having his cock.  He bucked his hips upwards, matching the rhythm Sesshoumaru had set, so that he would thrust deeply inside him. How long had is been since he last had sex? Had it ever felt so incredibly good? He couldn’t remember and it didn’t matter because at the moment the only thing that existed in the world lay between his belly button and his knees. Sesshoumaru was pounding into him, thick and deep and just, yes. The delicious friction, he was getting on his own cock with each thrust, had him rushing headlong to his release. He clawed at Sesshomaru’s back, tangling his fingers in his lover’s silky white mane. His balls tightening, Byakuya let out a loud moan as he came, wet and hot liquid pulsing from him to cling to both of them.

 

Sesshomaru grunted as he sped up his pace. He was close to climaxing, and yet, he wanted to prolong the moment for as long as possible, but his mate’s impossibly tight ass and the hot stickiness of his orgasm as it hit his stomach only served to push him over the edge. He growled as he came, his arms wrapping around Byakuya, holding him tightly to his chest.  Panting, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and shuddered as the last bits of his essence were wrung from him from intensity of his orgasm. Nuzzling his mate, he pulled out of him, rolling to the side, and lying next to him on the futon.

 

The happy couple snuggled and dozed there for a while, until there was a soft rap at the door.

 

“What is it, Jaken?” Sesshoumaru asked, not wanting his time with Byakuya to be disturbed.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, the dinner you asked for is ready. Will you be eating now or should I go tell the cooks to hold it for you?” Jaken asked.

 

“We will be down shortly,” Sesshoumaru answered, his mouth was beginning to water. He hadn’t eaten in quite some time, and after their earlier activities, he was positively starving.

 

“I will go tell them then,” Jaken said, hurrying away to do his master’s bidding.             

 

“Do you think he was out there waiting to deliver that message for long?” Byakuya asked, feeling a little embarrassed at the possibility that the little green guy had been listening for a good moment to interrupt them.

 

“He came up the hallway just before he knocked,” Sesshoumaru said, pointing to one of his large, pointed ears. “Even if that weren’t the case, Jaken wouldn’t dare risk my wrath by listening in on such an intimate moment between us. Now let’s clean up and go get something to eat, I am hungry.”

 

Byakuya was in for a pleasant surprise when Sesshoumaru emerged from the baths dressed in a white, long sleeved kimono embroidered with a red and white cherry blossom flower crest on one shoulder and the edges of his sleeves. Over that he wore armor, a breastplate and shoulder guard adorned with spikes. On his legs he wore hakama that gathered at the ankles over a pair of flat ankle high boots. Around his waist an ornate blue and gold sash was tied, hanging long in the front. It would have looked overdone and overdressed on anyone else, but on him it looked somehow natural.

 

Sesshoumaru loaned him a dark blue, silk kimono to wear while he had his servants launder his road worn clothes. They shared a quiet and comfortable meal, after which they retired back to Sesshoumaru’s rooms for the rest of the night.

 

Jaken busied himself clearing the dishes; no one touched his lord’s food, but him. He was concerned about this new turn of events, but knew better than to openly question someone Sesshoumaru-sama had chosen, though he planned on investigating as thoroughly as he could when his lord wasn’t looking. The idea that anyone could trick or coerce Sesshoumaru was so utterly ridiculous he could not entertain it in his head for long. Still, that didn’t mean that this newcomer was worthy of his lord’s attention and affection. He would be keeping a close eye on him for a very long time.

 

Though the atmosphere in the Soul Society was peaceful, the weather pleasant, and the streets clean, Byakuya wished he could have stayed longer with Sesshoumaru in the living world. However, he knew that he had to return and make some sort of report, before he was absent for too long and a detail was dispatched to locate him. He had been gone from the Soul Society for nearly a week as it was and, though two days at Sesshoumaru’s manor were not nearly enough, he could not justify extending his stay any longer, so with no small amount of regret he had returned home.

 

He made his way to the first division where the captain’s meetings were held and took his place between Captains Unohana and Kyoraku. He really wasn’t looking forward to this. He stood in his usual perfect posture, but his lower back was making him miserable. He could ignore it, he had ignored far greater pain, but it was annoying as hell. Looking across from him into the face of Captain Komamura, he remembered the youkai graveyard and the gate therein, perhaps if he could keep to details of that sort he would make it through this meeting without having to divulge anything about his personal involvement with Sesshoumaru.

 

Sesshoumaru sat at his desk, once again dressed in a suit and playing the part of a modern day businessman. He had looked over his inventory and removed all of the purchases he had made from the thieves to a set of shelves in his office. He had spent quite a bit on them over a period of nearly a year on such items and it vexed him greatly that he was going to have to take a loss on them. Adding to his ire, was the fact that he had not heard from Byakuya since he left for the Soul Society four days prior. If he could have just waited a few more days so he could take care of things at his home and the shop, Sesshoumaru would have returned with him and been able to protect him from his superiors should they choose to punish him for leaving the way he had. It was probably that exact reason that Byakuya had decided not to wait to go back. He wouldn’t have wanted to chance a fight of that sort starting. His mate was a wise one, but knowing it was better this way did not help him stop wishing Byakuya was back by his side, safe and preferably naked.

 

He was interrupted from taking that line of thought any further by the door chime in the front of the store.  He walked out to greet the customer, a middle aged woman, who was carefully leafing through a display stack of erotic water colors. She smiled at him and asked a few questions about the watercolors. What did he know about the artist? When were they drawn? And so on. Then she wandered over to examine a heavy iron tea pot. Smiling widely at the price tag, she snatched the pot up and headed to the counter with her new prize. Just as he handed her the bag containing her purchase, the door chime rang again. The customer turned around to see Byakuya walking in, wearing an expensive tailored suit. “I have got to come into this place more often,” she muttered to herself, smiling widely at the handsome men as she exited the shop.

 

Sesshoumaru followed her to the door, locking it behind her; he closed the blinds on the door and turned the switch on the open sign in his window off.  Turning around, he found Byakuya standing just out of arm’s reach, a matter he took care of, by stepping forward and wrapping his arms around him in a brief embrace. Stepping back once more, he asked, “How did it go?”

 

Byakuya took a deep breath and let it out. “It took over an hour of questions from the Captain-Commander and the other captains, before it was decided I had made a complete report. They still have some questions about the youkai, as do I, but they felt I was fairly thorough in my investigation of you. I feel that Captains Kyoraku and Ukitaki suspect the true nature of our relationship, but they chose not to bring it up in the meeting for reasons known only to them. I was both grateful and pleasantly surprised by that.

 

“My lieutenant did leave me a large stack of paperwork to catch up on, as is usual for him, but he kept the rest of the sixth squad running well during my short time away. That pleases me because now I now know that if I were to take the occasional long weekend off things will not fall apart in my absence. Upon looking at my records with the protection squads, it seems that I have several years’ worth of unused personal days accrued. I have the rest of this week off to gather my belongings from the living world, and put things back to order in my house.” Byakuya reached out and grasped Sesshoumaru by the hand. “I have missed you,” he said simply, before leaning in and placing a sweet, chaste kiss on Sesshoumaru’s lips.

 

Sesshoumaru smiled and returned the kiss. If Byakuya could take a long weekend and a vacation now and then, so could he. If they staggered vacations, they could possibly live as much as a month together, hopping back and forth between each other’s estates at times. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but with a little effort they could make it work. Besides, this was just the beginning of what could be an incredibly long and interesting relationship.

 

 

 


End file.
